Cooler for gas

ABSTRACT

A cooler for gas of a radiator type having a unitized and readily replaceable core. The core comprises a plurality of tube nests which are stacked in surmounting relationship. The nests are held in this relationship in that the tubes terminate in, and are held by, at either ends thereof, tube plates. Inside and outside waterheads enclose the ends of the tubes and are fixed to the tube plates. These components comprise the replaceable and unitized tube core. The core is carried within a shell or housing and bolted thereto at one end thereof for its replaceable mounting therein. The housing has transverse ribs having arcuate cross sections. These ribs are arrayed across the inside of the housing, and face the external surfaces of the core to redirect gas from the housing back into the tube nests. The housing includes inlet and outlet gas plenums, at the upper and lower portions thereof, for conducting gas through the cooler and through the core. The waterheads have porting to accommodate circulation of cooling water.

United States Patent Howe [5 1' COOLER FOR GAS [72] Inventor: Frank D. Howe, Painted Post, NY.

[73] Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 17,672

[451 June 6,1972

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 715,125 9/1954 Great Britain ..165/158 Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. AnorneyFrank S. Troidl, David W. Tibbott and Bernard J. Murphy [57] ABSTRACT 'side waterheads enclose the ends of the tubes and are fixed to the tube plates. These components comprise the replaceable and unitized tube core. The core is carried within a shell or housing and bolted thereto at one end thereof for its replaceable mounting therein. The housing has transverse ribs having arcuate cross sections. These ribs are arrayed across the inside of the housing, and face the external surfaces of the core to redirect gas from the housing back into the tube nests. The housing includes inlet and outlet gas plenums, at the upper and lower portions thereof, for conducting gas through the cooler and through the core. The waterheads have porting to accommodate circulation of cooling water.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJW 6 m2 9.667, 541

INVENTOR PEAK 0. HO WE JK ww COOLER FOR GAS This invention pertains to coolers for gas and in particular to a cooler for gas having a unitized and readily replaceable core.

In the prior art it is known to provide coolers for a gas product which have round sealing plates at the ends of the cooling nests and individual side plates to direct the air or gas through the nests. In these prior art type of coolers it has been required to perform considerable machining of the end plates and the shell or housing to insure its proper fitting of the nests. Additionally, the known coolers usually require considerable dismantling to facilitate maintenance and replacement of the tube nests.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cooler for gas which requires the minimum of machining and facilitates a ready replaceability of the unitized core. Another object of this invention is to provide a cooler for gas having a shell or housing having means which direct all external gas therefrom and back into the tube nests.

A feature of this invention comprises the provisioning of a cooler for gas of the radiator type having a unitized and readily replaceable core. The core comprises a plurality of tube nests stacked in surmounting relationship. The tubes of each of the nests terminate in and are held by tube plates at either sides of the core. Inside and outside waterheads overlie and are fixed to the tube plates to provide for the circulation of cooling water through the nests. This unitized core is disposed in a shell or housing and bolted thereto, at one end only, to facilitate its ready replacement for cleaning or repair.

Further objects and features of this invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical, cross sectional view of the gas cooler according to an embodiment of the invention, with the outside waterhead only partially sectioned, and with the inside waterhead not sectioned at all;

FIG. 2 is a perspective or isometric view of a portion of the gas cooler of FIG. 1 with parts of the outside waterhead and tube plate cut away; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section of a portion of the cooler of FIGS. 1 and 2, taken along section 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the volume of the inlet plenum.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the gas cooler of this invention comprises a housing or shell 12 in which is disposed a unitized core 14. The core constitutes a plurality of tube nests 16 arranged in surmounting relationship, each of the nests comprising a plurality of parallel tubes 18. The tubes 18 terminate in, and are secured by inside and outside tube plates 20 and 22, respectively, arranged at each side of the core. Two waterheads, an inside waterhead 24 and outside waterhead 26 are fixed to the tube plates 22 and 20, respectively, to define outside coolant chamber 28, 30, and 32, and complementary inside coolant chambers (not shown), therewithin. Each of the tubes 18 in the tube nests 16 open on these chambers. The outside waterhead 26 is ported top and bottom at 34 and 36 to facilitate the circulation of coolant water through the core. Port 34 is the water inlet port, and port 36 is the water outlet port.

The housing or shell includes enlarged inlet and outlet plenums 38 and 40, respectively, at either ends thereof. The inlet plenum 38, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1, admits the gas to the cooler 10 and substantially surrounds the upper end 42 of the core, as best shown in FIG. 3. This substantial envelopment of the core 14 provides for an even distribution of the gas at the top of the core and insures the even distribution of the gas down through the nest. The lower or outlet plenum 40 defines a separator. It has a transverse web 42 surmounting the outlet port 44 upon which condensate drains in avoidance of the outlet port. At the outside" of the cooler, i.e., the outside waterhead 26 side, the housing 12 has a peripheral flange 46 which mates with the outside tube plate 20, the two being bored through, and the flange being tapped, to receive mounting bolts 48. The lateral faces of the cooler nests 16 are arranged between side walls 50 (only one of which is shown) of the housing 12. The housing walls 50 have transverse ribs 52 of arcuate cross sectionwhich are arrayed across the lateral faces of the faces of the nests 16. These ribs 52, as indicated by arrows in FIG. 2, insure that any gas which passes out of the core 14 is redirected into the core as it passes along one of the arcuate sides of the ribs 52. An inside" wall 54 of the housing 12 is filled with packing 56 so that as the core 14 is inserted into the housing it comprises the packing and seals this inner side of the housing against gas leakage. To the inside of the lower plenum there is defined an enlarged chamber 58 with a sealed port therein. This chamber 58 comprises an access or cleanout chamber from which condensate and particulate may be removed.

The chambers 28, 30 and 32 are defined by the waterhead 26 (and waterhead 24) by means of separators 60. The separators 60 are so arranged, between successive nests, to insure that the coolant water is admitted from the port 34 at the lower end of the outside waterhead 26 and therefrom through successive nests 16 until it reaches the uppermost nest and is exhausted through chamber 32 and the outlet port 36 at the upper end of the outside waterhead 26. The transverse separator web 42 disposed over the gas exhaust port 44 in the lower plenum 40 is bored through to accommodate mounting bolts to facilitate the mounting of the overall cooler 10 in juxtaposition with an inlet port of a given gascompressor. With the housing 12 and the overall cooler 10 bolted to a gas compressor it is even then most simple to replace the cooler core 14 at will. It remains only to remove the bolts 48 from the peripheral flange 46 of the cooler housing 12 to enable the complete withdrawal of the inserted core. Thereafter, packing 56 can be removed and fresh packing replaced, and the replacement core fitted into and secured to the housing 12. Therefore, it is not necessary thereafter to demount the total cooler 10 from a gas compressor with which it is being associated, nor is it necessary to dismantle the cooler housing to replace and/or service the core.

While I have described my invention in connection with a specific embodiment thereof it is to be clearly understood that this is done only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of my invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A cooler for gas, comprising:

a housing;

said housing defining an inlet plenum within one end thereof and an outlet plenum within an opposite end thereof; and

a unitized tube core replaceably secured in, and to only one side of, said housing intermediate of, and extending between, said ends;

said core having means therethrough;

said housing having means for conducting gas through said plenums and said core; and wherein said core comprises a plurality of tube nests disposed in parallel relationship, each of said nests comprising a plurality of parallel tubes;

said inlet plenum envelops a major portion of one end of said tube core which extends therefrom;

said core further comprises plates having apertures formed therein at either ends of said tubes for maintaining said nests in said relationship, each of said tubes having its terminal ends fixed in said apertures;

said core further comprises means fixed to said plates defining sealed enclosures thereupon;

said terminal ends open on said enclosure;

said enclosure-defining means comprises waterheads overlying said terminal ends;

said housing includes a wall disposed at a side thereof opposite said one side;

said wall and one of said waterheads cooperatively define a core packing chamber therebetween;

for conducting coolant said packing chamber has oppositely disposed ends which open on said plenum chambers; and

said packing chamber has packing therewithin to inhibit a flow of gas therethrough.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein:

said coolant conducting means comprises porting formed in at least one of said enclosures, and means effecting a sealing of one end of each of said nests from a given nest end adjacent thereto, and a communication of said one end with another nest end.

3. The invention, according to claim 1, wherein:

said outlet plenum envelops a major portion of one end of said tube core which extends therefrom.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein:

said outlet plenum comprises means for separating condensate from the gas.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein:

said housing has walls defining an interface with surfaces of said core;

said walls having means for directing gas away therefrom and into said nests.

6. The invention according to claim 5, wherein:

said gas directing means comprises ribs having arcuate surfaces projecting towards said nests. 

1. A cooler for gas, comprising: a housing; said housing defining an inlet plenum within one end thereof and an outlet plenum within an opposite end thereof; and a unitized tube core replaceably secured in, and to only one side of, said housing intermediate of, and extending between, said ends; said core having means for conducting coolant therethrough; said housing having means for conducting gas through said plenums and said core; and wherein said core comprises a plurality of tube nests disposed in parallel relationship, each of said nests comprising a plurality of parallel tubes; said inlet plenum envelops a major portion of one end of said tube core which extends therefrom; said core further comprises plates having apertures formed therein at either ends of said tubes for maintaining said nests in said relationship, each of said tubes having its terminal ends fixed in said apertures; said core further comprises means fixed to said plates defining sealed enclosures thereupon; said terminal ends open on said enclosure; said enclosure-defining means comprises waterheads overlying said terminal ends; said housing includes a wall disposed at a side thereof opposite said one side; said wall and one of said waterheads cooperatively define a core packing chamber therebetween; said packing chamber has oppositely disposed ends which open on said plenum chambers; and said packing chamber has packing therewithin to inhibit a flow of gas therethrough.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein: said coolant conducting means comprises porting formed in at least one of said enclosures, and means effecting a sealing of one end of each of said nests from a given nest end adjacent thereto, and a communication of said one end with another nest end.
 3. The invention, according to claim 1, wherein: said outlet plenum envelops a major portion of one end of said tube core which extends therefrom.
 4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein: said outlet plenum comprises means for separating condensate from the gas.
 5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein: said housing has walls defining an interface with surfaces of said core; said walls having means for directing gas away therefrom and into said nests.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, wherein: said gas directing means comprises ribs having arcuate surfaces projecting towards said nests. 